Hey everyone, setting up this month's AMA to catch up with everyone and chat about trading!
This could be a really cool time to chat about a recent project I started, Project No Code. A really important part of my trading is conducting research. I've spent over six figures on data and thousands of hours self-teaching how to set up a database, program, etc.
A few weeks ago I started exploring what AI could do on a similar project and was absolutely blown away. I decided to see if I could build a new research DB without writing any code whatsoever. Fast forward and as of today the DB has over 1 billion rows of data, combining options data, equity, futures, economic data, etc.
I've been documenting my process with the goal of sharing with everyone. This is the kind of thing that can completely transform your trading. As simple as it is, being able to actually research your ideas is something most traders overlook - and I get it. It's hard, expensive, and wildly time consuming. Not so much the case anymore - AI and CLI interfacing agents have completely changed that.
SO if you have any questions about the project, let me know! In the meantime, below are some contextual materials to hopefully help get you started. I had claude make slides to summarize it - you can literally drop these into a claude chat to get started.
[Starting with a basic test premise](https://preview.redd.it/wkbksrbg575h1.png?width=1210&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a4daef93cd5dd6b9d16c2b9b7d738df80875edc)
[Example prompt](https://preview.redd.it/a98z6ktj575h1.png?width=1179&format=png&auto=webp&s=16b1da63d1ff08a72f6ed72e47370839d635a274)
[Summary output](https://preview.redd.it/t6d7ne9n575h1.png?width=1253&format=png&auto=webp&s=0bef08170423ca2155d6e5b72a15eb9ac0e21a9e)
[The starting pieces \> I'm not affiliated with any in any capacity](https://preview.redd.it/etcxffzt575h1.png?width=1180&format=png&auto=webp&s=a18e38d160c36ed8aa1447136aaa4f727f6163ef)
https://preview.redd.it/w6q3zg33675h1.png?width=1197&format=png&auto=webp&s=a883501e92b3ae65e6c93fe41293922758d0dee0
https://preview.redd.it/e3963rt7675h1.png?width=1193&format=png&auto=webp&s=bad8eef5376f86c05e798047457c861ac7d07be2
https://preview.redd.it/sm0czqqb675h1.png?width=1188&format=png&auto=webp&s=d687d0389f02eedf589ab50ddbcd396dfef44924
[Model comparison ](https://preview.redd.it/fsv2g57f675h1.png?width=1176&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf9e9843a605f60a42949f6f95b098c2b3bd1758)
https://preview.redd.it/ukbhwjdh675h1.png?width=1175&format=png&auto=webp&s=1872a048a01d4f9098cba141abbfde005fb58b1c
[this is SUPER important. AI HELPS you - you HAVE to fact check, audit, and direct things still.](https://preview.redd.it/hmimtr4k675h1.png?width=1184&format=png&auto=webp&s=673b665e102b5bba1ac13f07d603afbbf33c0beb)
*Background for those interested:*
My name is Erik. I'm a Marine Corps veteran and full-time options trader. I've been trading since 2007 and have been active in [r/options](https://www.reddit.com/r/options/) since 2020. I've maintained a high 20% CAGR over this duration, my emphasis has been on consistency vs upside returns.
I grew up in a low income single-parent household. A high school teacher introduced me to investing and it changed my life.
Over time I built capital through manual labor jobs, flipping cars/motorcycles during college, and eventually expanding into real estate investing. I view wealth building through three levers: Savings; Investing; Income
Early on, savings rate matters most. As capital grows, compounding returns begin to dominate.
Trading is harder than most people initially expect, but it’s also far from impossible. With the right framework and enough time invested, it can absolutely become a viable career.
For transparency: I do run a YouTube community, but I’ve been posting in [r/options](https://www.reddit.com/r/options/) for years and enjoy discussing markets regardless. This AMA is just to talk trading.
**Happy to discuss things like:**
* How my trading changed as my capital grew
* Position sizing frameworks
* Managing volatility exposure
* Building consistency over time
* Strategy development / testing
* Mistakes that slowed my progress
Or anything else options related.
Below are some previous posts that lay a basic foundation for trading.
1. Trading Options for a Living- Provides a high level overview of my trading approach: https://www.reddit.com/r/options/comments/1gejy0q/trading\_options\_for\_a\_living/
2. Stop Wandering Aimlessly- Offers a general learning syllabus for new options traders: https://www.reddit.com/r/options/comments/1c3hgfh/stop\_wandering\_aimlessly/
3. Failure rate of options traders -Summarizes common sources of trader failure: https://www.reddit.com/r/options/comments/1iaqtzx/failure\_rate\_of\_options\_traders\_3\_causes/
Looking forward to it!
>awesome catching up, see you next month!